


What Is Trust

by siriusmistake



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Gen, Other, POV Second Person, season two spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-19 21:45:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5981899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriusmistake/pseuds/siriusmistake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Runner Five's thoughts during s2m40, “Little Lies”.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Is Trust

You trusted her. 

Even now, as she holds a gun to your head, the sober resignation in her eyes conflicting with the wicked grin on her lips and the nonchalant shrug she gives the dire situation, you still can't help but trust her. 

You don't want to accept the accusations, in spite of the evidence that has been piling up ever since she returned, dodging questions and evading suspicion as she sauntered back into your life. All this time, even after every indication that she was hiding something, you still believed she had good reasons, that there was a logical explanation for the secrets and deception.

You think back to your first mission together, when you had just crash-landed, lost and disoriented, in what felt like the middle of nowhere. You were looking for an anchor and found her instead, a forceful woman who made it clear she shouldn't be trusted. You put your faith in her anyway, and followed her all the way to the current predicament.

Running with Sara Smith has always been dangerous. But at least you felt safe from all other dangers when you were with her.

~~~

As you listen to Sam shouting heartbroken threats and the Major preparing to sacrifice your life in order to stop the traitor, you think, “This changes everything.”

You're forced to face the cost of trust. You thought over time you had earned her confidence in return, but perhaps you had only given her your naivete, a perfect opportunity to take advantage of a respected former stranger. You wonder how much of the ruin she'd caused could have been prevented if you had been less trusting.

They'll never let her get away. You might not escape, either – this could truly be the end. Nevertheless, you admit that even if you both survive to see tomorrow, things will never be the same.

Or maybe this changes nothing. It's still the apocalypse, after all. Every day remains a life or death struggle in a barren world with peril around every corner. But you'd hoped you'd found people you could depend on, people you'd gladly die for and who would do the same for you. You'd thought you'd found meaning in the chaos of this post-civilization existence.

You stare down the barrel of the deadly weapon being pointed at you, hopes dashed, hot tears sliding down your cheeks as you realize the full extent of her betrayal.

~~~

You look down, bitterly scrubbing away the moisture from your face as confusion, anger, and doubt well up inside of you where you'd held such confidence and certainty before. You hate feeling so fragile, but more than that, you hate that you're already mourning her loss for the second time, even though she's standing right there, seemingly prepared to kill you if it would benefit her. 

You're afraid to search her expression for the remorse you hope you heard in her voice. You're not sure how you'll feel, regardless of what you find in her eyes when you look up.

You adjust your grip on the ax you carry, the tool she gave you back in the cavern, with a call to “do the honors”, like a proud parent passing on a legacy. You'd started to consider every item she handed you a gift to be cherished in this era of few personal possessions.

And now she's holding the pistol out to you and dropping down to her knees, her hands in the air, a sad, knowing smile crossing the distance between you.

Sara Smith always smiles like she knows something you don't.


End file.
